Demand Police Accountability in 2016

The protests that followed the killing of Freddie Gray are a direct result of current policies that restrict transparency in the way police departments operate and address misconduct, damaging the relationship between them and the communities they serve. Law enforcement officers occupy unique positions of power in our society–a necessity to ensure public safety–but also devastating when abused. There have been far too many instances of officer misconduct throughout Maryland. It’s time to take critical action to rein in the abuse of police power and rebuild communities' trust.

Maryland is one of many states fighting for sensible police reforms that protect the public and officers alike. Community actions across the state have pressured the legislature to seek measures to increase police accountability. Current laws make reporting misconduct difficult and provide little to no transparency for the public into how these complaints are handled.

Progressive Maryland, as part of the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability–a coalition of activists, faith-based, nonprofit, and civic organizations–has introduced a legislative package to achieve meaningful police reforms that will protect the public, protect law-abiding officers, and rebuild trust between law enforcement and communities by: